Pangasinan set to reclaim rice granary status
By Danny O Sagun
"Babalik ang Pangasinan na rice granary pag tapos na yan."
Engineer Laurence Acebedo, assistant project manager of the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP), thus boldly projected as to what Pangasinan would become when the irrigation re-regulating pond in San Manuel town is completed by mid-2013.
Acebedo said some 35,000 hectares of farmlands from eastern and central Pangasinan are projected to benefit from the irrigation system. "Sa ngayon nga nakikita na yong pagtaas ng produksyon sa mga lugar na naayos na natin yong irrigation facilities, mas lalong maramdaman ng ating farmers ang benepisyo pag operational na yong re-regulating pond," he told newsmen in a huddle after the KBP Forum Thursday at the Philippine Information Agency.
Construction of theP4.5-billion pond project started early this year. Funds came from a loan with the China Eximbank. The pond will cover an area of 85 hectares and can hold five million cubic meters of water used by the San Roque dam power generation facility.
Acebedo said the contractor, CAMC Engineering of China, is ahead of schedule by at least nine percent. "Sa ngayon nasa 19 percent na sila, which is a positive slippage of nine percent. Ang target accomplishment for July ay 10 percent," he noted.
ARIIP, he also said, is at the same time rehabilitating the canals of the Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS) and the Ambayaoan-Dipalo Irrigation System (ADRIS). The two irrigation systems were integrated into the single project ARIIP. The total project cost runs to some P11.3 billion including the construction of the re-regulating pond, he said.
Rehabilitation of the irrigation facilities included concreting of portions of the canals to prevent erosion and siltation.
If funds warrant, coverage in the ADRIS area may be expanded to benefit more towns, he disclosed.
Farmlands from the towns of Mapandan, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara and Calasiao of the third district, Mangaldan and Manaoag of the fourth district, Laoac, Binalonan, Urdaneta City and Villasis of the fifth district, and Asingan, San Manuel, Natividad, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Sta. Maria, Tayug and Balungao of the sixth district will benefit from the improved irrigation system.
On the collection of irrigation service fees, he noted that farmers are very cooperative in paying their obligations. "Boluntaryo naman silang nagbabayad. Nakikita naman nila na gumaganda na ang irigasyon dahil sa facilities nating pinapatayo," he said. (PIA Pangasinan)
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p1008...9&r=r01&y=&mo=
By Danny O Sagun
"Babalik ang Pangasinan na rice granary pag tapos na yan."
Engineer Laurence Acebedo, assistant project manager of the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARIIP), thus boldly projected as to what Pangasinan would become when the irrigation re-regulating pond in San Manuel town is completed by mid-2013.
Acebedo said some 35,000 hectares of farmlands from eastern and central Pangasinan are projected to benefit from the irrigation system. "Sa ngayon nga nakikita na yong pagtaas ng produksyon sa mga lugar na naayos na natin yong irrigation facilities, mas lalong maramdaman ng ating farmers ang benepisyo pag operational na yong re-regulating pond," he told newsmen in a huddle after the KBP Forum Thursday at the Philippine Information Agency.
Construction of theP4.5-billion pond project started early this year. Funds came from a loan with the China Eximbank. The pond will cover an area of 85 hectares and can hold five million cubic meters of water used by the San Roque dam power generation facility.
Acebedo said the contractor, CAMC Engineering of China, is ahead of schedule by at least nine percent. "Sa ngayon nasa 19 percent na sila, which is a positive slippage of nine percent. Ang target accomplishment for July ay 10 percent," he noted.
ARIIP, he also said, is at the same time rehabilitating the canals of the Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS) and the Ambayaoan-Dipalo Irrigation System (ADRIS). The two irrigation systems were integrated into the single project ARIIP. The total project cost runs to some P11.3 billion including the construction of the re-regulating pond, he said.
Rehabilitation of the irrigation facilities included concreting of portions of the canals to prevent erosion and siltation.
If funds warrant, coverage in the ADRIS area may be expanded to benefit more towns, he disclosed.
Farmlands from the towns of Mapandan, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara and Calasiao of the third district, Mangaldan and Manaoag of the fourth district, Laoac, Binalonan, Urdaneta City and Villasis of the fifth district, and Asingan, San Manuel, Natividad, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Sta. Maria, Tayug and Balungao of the sixth district will benefit from the improved irrigation system.
On the collection of irrigation service fees, he noted that farmers are very cooperative in paying their obligations. "Boluntaryo naman silang nagbabayad. Nakikita naman nila na gumaganda na ang irigasyon dahil sa facilities nating pinapatayo," he said. (PIA Pangasinan)
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p1008...9&r=r01&y=&mo=
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